High tactility fingernail system to operate electronic devices

ABSTRACT

This invention is directed to a fingernail system for operating an electronic device. The fingernail system may include a nail polish and nail tips. The nail polish and nail tips may be formed from any suitable material, including a material that is electrically conductive.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATION:

This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 61/665,450 filed Jun. 28, 2012, entitled “High tactility fingernail system to operate electronic devices” which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

DESCRIPTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This relates to a nail polish and/or nail tips that may be used with an electronic device.

Electronic devices, and in particular portable electronic devices (e.g., personal media players and cellular telephones such as the iPhone, from Apple Inc. located in Cupertino, Calif.) have become ubiquitous. Some users may operate electronic devices with long fingernails. When users have long fingernails, operating the electronic devices may become difficult.

Input mechanisms on some electronic devices may require precise manipulation to perform electronic device operations. In some embodiments, some input mechanisms may only recognize inputs provided by a finger placed directly or near proximity on the input mechanisms. When users have long fingernails some electronic devices may therefore be unable to recognize or identify user interactions with the input mechanism. The loss of tactile feedback to the user may prevent the user from properly operating the electronic device, and may lead to frustration.

Accordingly, there is a need for a nail polish and/or nail tips that can be applied to the fingernail with which a user may provide inputs to the input mechanism of an electronic device to direct the electronic device to perform operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to a fingernail system to transmit user inputs to the input mechanism of an electronic device.

A fingernail system that includes a nail polish and/or nail tips may be provided. The nail polish and/or nail tips may be constructed such that the user receives tactile feedback when the user manipulates the input mechanism of an electronic device while wearing the fingernail nail polish and/or nail tips.

The fingernail system which can include a nail polish and/or nail tips may be manufactured from any suitable material, including materials with properties similar to human skin. For example, the nail polish may be manufactured from a material that has low thermal conductivity, electrical resistivity similar to human skin, or any other suitable property. In some embodiments, the material for the nail polish, nail tips or both may be selected to closely mimic the tactile effect of manipulating the electronic device using bare fingertips.

In some embodiments, at least portions of the nail polish and nail tips may be electrically coupled. Instructions provided by the user may be electrically conducted from the user's fingernail through the nail polish, through the coupling between the nail polish and the nail tips, or through the nail tips, and to the input mechanism of the electronic device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In principle, it is desirous to include as much of the conductive material as possible, in order to maximize the conductivity of the nail polish/nail tips. However, the composition must also contain at least the basic components of a nail polish (film forming agents, resins and plasticizers, solvents and coloring agents) to be considered a nail polish. When using a mixture over 90% nail polish and 10% by weight of conductive material and the nail polish/nail tips lose its conductivity. When using a mixture over 50% conductive material and 50% nail polish and it loses the effects of a nail polish. Accordingly, it is preferred to include at least 10% by weight of the conductive material, based on the wet weight of the composition. More preferably, the composition contains at least 25%, still more preferably from 25% to 50% by weight of the conductive composition. Most preferably, the composition contains from 30% to 45%, especially from 32% to 40% by weight of the conductive material, particularly silver, copper or aluminum. Conductive Silver can be purchased from MG Chemicals of Burlington, Ontario, Canada. It is preferred that the conductivity of the material, e.g. silver, should be at least 0.017 Ω·cm (Volume Resistivity).

The second crucial, component of the composition of the present invention is that the nail polish contains film forming agents, resins and plasticizers, solvents and coloring agents to be considered a nail polish.

The composition of the present invention may be applied to the nail by any conventional means. For example, it may be applied using a brush method. 

What is claimed:
 1. A nail polish and/or nail tips that can be used with an electronic device.
 2. A nail polish and/or nail tips of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the nail polish and/or nail tips has an electrically conductive material preferably silver.
 3. A nail polish of claim 2, wherein the conductive material is in liquid form
 4. A nail polish and/or nail tips of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the nail polish and/or nail tips has an electrical resistivity substantially similar to that of human skin.
 5. A nail polish according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the composition comprises at least 10% by weight of the conductive material, based on the wet weight of the composition.
 6. A nail polish according to claim 5, in which the composition contains at least 25%, preferably from 25 to 50% by weight of the conductive composition.
 7. A nail polish according to claim 5, in which the composition contains from 30% to 45%, preferably from 32% to 40%, by weight of the conductive material.
 8. A nail polish according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the conductivity of the material, e.g. silver, should be at least 0.017 Ω·cm (Volume Resistivity).
 9. A method for applying the nail polish and/or nails tips to the nails.
 10. A method using the nail polish and/or nails tip to interact with an input mechanism of an electronic device. 